A priest who has worked alongside the Littlemore community for more than two decades has been recognised for her service during a ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral.
The Revd Margreet Armistead was one of eight people made an honorary canon during Evensong at the cathedral on Saturday 31st January. The appointments recognise distinguished service to the church and the wider mission of God across the Diocese of Oxford.
Margreet has worked with the people of Littlemore for 22 years, during which time she has been closely involved in a wide range of community projects. These include establishing a local mental health group and founding a Christmas Day lunch, which has now run annually for more than two decades.
Speaking about her time in Littlemore, Margreet said the parish had recognised the need to rethink how the church building was used.
“We realised the need to transform the church building to become a warm, welcoming space that is now used all through the week, including for the arts,” she said.
“This building project was an intense journey of faith for the whole church and showed us that, with God, unexpected things still happen.”
Did you know?
Honorary canons are senior figures recognised for long-standing service to the Church and their local communities.
Unlike residential canons, honorary canons do not live or work full-time at a cathedral. Instead, the title is an honour awarded by the bishop to thank individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to parish life, pastoral care, community work or the wider mission of the diocese.
Appointments are often made during cathedral services and reflect years, sometimes decades, of faithful service.
Following a 30-day Ignatian retreat during her first sabbatical, Margreet trained as a spiritual director and has remained actively involved in spiritual development work. She now runs an interfaith Scriptural Reasoning group, bringing together people from across the city and her parish, and also works with the The Dialogue Society.
The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, said those appointed as honorary canons had shown exceptional commitment.
“These are all people who have served faithfully for many years, sometimes in quite challenging situations,” he said.
“They are people who go above and beyond and have had a big impact on the communities they serve. It is very good to be able to recognise their ministry in this way.”
Reflecting on the honour, Margreet said she had been taken by surprise.
“It’s been hugely rewarding to work with the people here in the community and in the diocese,” she said.
“I was surprised and honoured to be asked to become an honorary canon of the cathedral.”
